Moistener for duplicating machines



Sept. 6, 1938. s, KQKAY 2,129,179

MOISTENER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1936 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 6, 1938.

Filed Jan. 10, I936 s. KOKAY MOISTENER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ogwrwegs Sept. 6, 1938. s. KOKAY MOISTENER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 10, 1936 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,129,179 MOISTENER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Stephen Kokay, Chicago, Ill., assign'or to. Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of West Virginia 3 Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,522

9 Claims.

This invention relates to duplicating machines of the general type shown in the application of John W. Hernlund, Serial Number 44,911 filed October 14, 1935, for a Duplicating machine.

Machines of this type employ master sheets which are mounted upon a drum and copy sheets are moistened with a suitable solvent for the ink or carbon on the master sheet immediately before it is brought into contact with the side of the master sheet upon which the ink or carbon .is placed. The master sheets have the data to be duplicated formed thereon in reverse so that when a portion of the carbon or ink is ssolved OH and transferred to the moistened s face of the copy sheet it will appear incorrect readable form. In practice, some readily volatile solvent such as alcohol is employed.

One form of the invention is embodied in a machine of the type described in the aforesaid drum having means for clamping master sheets thereto.- The copy sheets may be advanced to the drum in any suitable manner such, for example, as by means of a pair of feed rollers. A platen roller is employed to press the copy sheets against the master sheet for transfering the data on the master sheet to a copy sheet. One of the feed rollers may desirably constitute a moistening roller so that one surface of the copy sheet is moistened as it is fed to the drum. The improved machine embodying the present invention comprises a moistening receptacle adapted to receive moistening fluid from a suitable source of supply. This receptacle contains means for distributing the moistening fluid throughout the receptacle and contains a body of absorbent material which projects from the container to engage the moistening roller. The improved machine preferably includes means for isolating a. portion of the absorbent material from the moistening liquid so that a portion only of the moistening roller will be moistened when, for exam- 'will become apparent as the following descripapplication which machine comprises a rotary tion progresses, reference being had to the ace companying drawings, wherein- Fig.1 is a plan view of a duplicating machine which embodies the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on' the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the mechanism taken horizontally over the moistenportion of the moistening receptacle. 1,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8--8 of Fig. 4.

Fi 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 8 showing a changed position, and

Fig 10 is a view in perspective of the absorbent device used in the receptacle, illustrating a rhodificd form in which the absorbent strip is not divided transversely.

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, the

reference characters II and i2 designate a pair of sideframes adapted to rest upon any suitable support, the side frames being provided with suitable rubber feet as indicated at I3. The side frames II and I2 are secured together by any suitable means, such as brackets l4 and I5. The machine further embodies a drive motor l6 and suitable mechanism including a belt IT, a

pulley l8, a pulley l9, a belt l9, a pulley 20, a pinion 2| fixed to the pulley 20 and a gear 22 for supplying driving power for the machine. A drum 23 is supported upon a shaft 24 which is rotatably journalled in the side frames H and I2. Suitable mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel 25 and a pawl 26 are adapted to connect the drum 23 to the gear 22 for purposes of imparting rotation to the drum. This connection is controlledby a suitable trip lever mechanism indicated generally at 21 and a cross bar 28 as more fully described in the aforesaid application.

The machine further comprises a copy sheet' table 29 upon which copy sheets are laid to be fed to the drum. A receiving tray 30 is provided and amaster sheet tray Si is also provided for supplying master sheets to the drum A having a vent chamber 38 therein. The volatilev liquid used in machines of this character is supplied from the receptacle 31 through an absorbent wick 48 to a combined feeding and moistening roller 4| which is driven'from the drum 23 by means of a main gear 42 on the drum, an idler gear 43 and a drive gear 44 fixed to the roller 4|. The roller 45 co-operates with the roller 4| to feed copy sheets such as 48to the drum 23.' The roller 48 has a felt covering 41 to absorb excess moisture from the feed roller 4|.

The copy sheet table 28 has a guide plate 48 thereon, which guide plate extends upwardly toward the junction of the rollers 4| and 48 and has a fiat portion 48 which terminates as close as is practical to the junction of the rollers. The moistening receptacle 31 has a lip at 88 which is spaced slightly above the portion 48 so as to provide a restricted guidewayfor directing sheets to the rollers 4| and 41.

The present invention concerns itself primarily with the moistening receptacle 31, the absorbent member 48 and the means for supplying liquid from the conduit 38 to the. absorbent mem- -ber 48. It willbe noted from an inspection of 'Flgs. 3 and 4, in particular, that the conduit 38 end of anipple 83 that connects the conduit 38 to the housing 8I.. An opening 84 provides for passage of liquid from within the nipple to the recess 82. A valve 88 is mounted to rotate in the wall of the receptacle 31 by a reduced portion 18. A further reduced portion 11 of the valve is adapted to receive a valve operating handle and indicator 18 which is-held upon the portion 11 between two washers 18 and 88 by a screw 8|. At its inner end, the valve 88 has a reduced portion 82 on which the washers 83 fit. The washers 83 are yieldingly pressed against the housing 8| by a spring 84 which is held inplace by a screw 88. r

The housing 8I- is provided with a cylindrical bore to receive the valve 88 which has a port 88 therein, which port may be'alined with two openings 81 and 88 leading from the recess 82 into the bore provided in the housing for the valve 88.

The housing is also provided with outlet openings 88 and 88 from the port 88, which openings are directed into a pair of recesses 8| and 82 provided in the housing 8|. These recesses have mounted therein a pair of distributing pipes 83 and 84 adapted to distribute the moistening liquid lengthwise of the receptacle 31. As shown most clearly in Fig. 8, the pipes 83 and 84 are provided with suitable apertures 88 adapted to direct the liquid against the back wall of the receptacle '31. The outer ends of the pipes 83 and 84 are plugged and may be secured to the ends of the receptacle 31 in any suitable manner such, for example, as by means of a. plug 88 and a screw 81 (Pig. '8). .Beneath the pipes 83 and 84 the receptacle is provided with one or more shelf portions '88 which are adapted to support a rear I edge 88 of the absorbent element 48. A drain outlet 18 is also provided for removing excess liquid from beneath the absorbent element 48. The element 48 lies substantially fiat in the receptacle 31 sloping downwardly slightly toward the roller 4| and it rests upon a shoulder 1| provided on the receptacle directly beneath an opening 12 through which the absorbent element 48 projects to engage the roller 4|. This element 48 is turned downward to engage the top surface of the lip 88 and is doubled upon itself to provide a thick body of absorbent material which can be pressed against'the roller 4|. The free edge of the element 48 is extended upwardly and fastened to the outside ofthe wall of the receptacle31 by means of a bar 13 and suitable screws 14. The pressure of the bar 13 upon the absorbent element controls to a certain extent the flow of moisture to the roller 4|. This pressure may be varied by adjusting the screws 14. A cover 18 is provided for the receptacle. 7

The receptacle .31 is preferably so mounted in the side frames I I and I2 as to be yieldingly urged toward the roller 4| at all times. The details of this mounting are shown best in Figs. 3 and 8. At one end the receptacle 31 is secured to the side frame I2 by a stud 88 in which a projection 81, fixed in the end of the receptacle, is-journalled. At the other end of the receptacle 31, a I

plate 88 is mounted by means of a rivet 88 and a combined rivet and bearing member 88. The member 88 has a flange 8| thereon adapted'to abut the end of a stud 82 fixed in the side frame member II and has further a projection 83 journalled in arecess 84 in the member 82. The plate 88 is curved away from the end of the receptacle 31 at the top and projects upwardly above the receptacle as indicated at 88 to engage a pin 88 upon a bell crank lever 8 The bell crank lever 81 is pivoted upon the member 82 and has an arm 88 .projecting horizonta y. A pin 88 is fixed in the side frame II and rgejects outwardly over the arm 88 as shown most 0 early in Fig. 3 to provide a stop limiting the movement of the arm 88 in a counterclockwise direction.

A coiled spring I88 is mounted on an extended hub portion I8| of the bell crank lever 81. This spring has one end I82 fixed to the pin 88 while the other end I83 is hooked over the bell crank lever 81. Thus, the spring continuously urges the bell crank lever in a direction to press against the upper portion 88 of the plate 88 so as to tend to turn the receptacle 31 about its pivot members 81 and 83 and press the member 48 against the roller 4|.

As illustrated best by'Flgs. 8 and 9; the valve 88 may be adjusted to supply liquid to either one .or both of the pipes 83 and 84 and it may be turned in such a position as to supply more liquid to one of the pipes than to the other as will be readily understood. In addition, the member 48 is divided in its horizontal portion by a slot I84 (Figure 3) so that the moistening liquid can not. spread from one section to the other when the liquid to one of the pipes 83 or 84 when the narrow copy sheets are being moistened. This results in considerable economy in the use of liquid and further prevents overcharging of the fel covering 41 on the roller 48.

While certain embodiments of. the invention have been shown and described, it is to be underrangement may be made without departing from moistening device for moistening the copy sheets Having thus described the invention,- what I.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a duplicating machine, a drum, means to mount a master sheet thereon, means to press copy sheets against said master sheet, and a as they are advanced to said drum, said moistening device comprising a moistening roller adjacent to and substantially parallel with said drum, a

moistening fluid receptacle, an absorbent element protruding from said receptacle and engaging said roller, and liquid supply means for said absorbent element comprising means for selectively wetting separate sections of said absorbent element, said absorbent element having means to restrict the spread of liquid lengthwise therein. v

2. In a duplicating machine of the 'character described, moistening means comprising a moistening receptacle, absorbent means in said receptacle and projecting from said receptacle for delivering moistening liquid to an applicator for moistening sheets, an applicator, and means to' selectively restrict supply of moistening liquid to different portions of said applicator, said last named means comprising a plurality of liquid spreading devices in said receptacle, each adapted to supply liquid to a particular section 'of said absorbent means, and said absorbent means having the sections thereof substantially isolated from each other within said receptacle.

3. In a duplicating machine of the character described, a moistening receptacle having a shelf portion at one side thereof and having an opening at the other side, an absorbent element supported on said shelf portion said element extending across the receptacle and projecting into said opening, and means to deliver moistening liquid onto said element within the receptacle, said receptacle having a space beneath said element and between the shelf and the opening to receive excess liquid from said element.

4. In a duplicating machine of the character described, a moistening receptacle having a shelf portion and having an opening at one side, an absorbent element supported on said shelf portion and projecting into said opening, and means .to deliver moistening liquid onto said element within the receptacle, said receptacle having a space beneath said element to receive excess liquid from said element, said receptacle having an exterior lip beneath said opening, and said element having a doubled portion overlying said lip.

5. In a duplicating machine of the character described, a moistening receptacle having a'shelf portion at one side thereof and having an opening at the other side, an absorbent element supported on said shelf portion said element extending across the receptacle and projecting into said .opening, and means to deliver moistening liquid onto said element within the receptacle, said receptaclehaving a space beneath said element and between the shelf and the opening to receive ex- 1 3 absorbent element within the receptacle being divided transversely of the receptacle.

6. In a duplicating machine of the character described, a moistening receptacle having a shelf portion and having an opening at one side, an absorbent element supported on said shelf portion and projecting into said opening, and means to deliver moistening liquid onto said element within the receptacle, said receptacle having a space beneath said element to receive excess liquid from said element, said receptacle having an exterior lip beneath said opening, and said element having a doubled portion-overlying said lip, and clamping means for clamping the free edge'of said element to the exterior-of the receptacle above said p nin a 7. A duplicating machine comprising a frame, a drum rotatably journalled therein, means to mount a master sheet on said drum, a copy sheet tableadjacent to said drum, combined feeding and moistening rollers adapted to advance copy sheets fed thereto to said drum and to moisten one surface of the advancing copy sheet, and a moistening device for supplying moistening fluid to one of said rollers, said moistening device comprising a receptacle pivotal'ly supported by said frame along side the roller to be moistened, ab sorbent means projecting through the wall of .said receptacle to engage said roller, means within said receptacle for supplying liquid to said absorbent means, and spring means urging said receptacle toward said roller, said absorbent means having a doubled portion outside the receptacle to engage said roller, and the free end portion of said absorbent means being clamped against said receptacle. g

8. In a duplicating machine of the character described, moistening means comprising a moistening receptacle, sections of absorbent means in said receptacle and projecting therefrom, an applicator contacted by said sections for receiving moistening fluid therefrom, and means in said receptacle for selectively supplying moistening liquid to said sections, said sections being spaced from each other and said applicator being adapted to contact copy sheets to moisten them.

9. In a duplicating machine of the character described, a frame, a drum rotatably journalled therein, means to mount a master sheet on said drum, 8. copy sheet table adjacent said drum, combined feedingyand moistening rollers adapted to advance copy sheets fed thereto to. said drum and to moisten one surface of each advanced copy sheet, anda moistening device for supplying moistening fluid to one of said rollers, said moistening device comprising a receptacle pivotally supported by said frame adjacent the roller to be moistened, sections of absorbent means in said receptacle and projecting therefrom, said sections contacting said rollerto be supplied with moistening fluid, yielding means for urging said receptacle in a direction to urge said sections against the last-mentioned roller, and means in said receptacle for selectively supplying moistening fluid to said sections, said sections being spaced from each other.

STEPHEN KOKAY. 

